Facilities for reprocessing irradiated nuclear fuels are provided with so-called hot cells for housing the process equipment used. In these radiation-shielded large-area cells, the process equipment is accommodated in frames or scaffoldlike structures also known as racks.
The maintenance work within the large-area cells subjected to radiation must be effected without the necessity of having operating personnel enter the cells. The maintenance work is therefore performed by using remotely-controlled manipulating apparatus. In this connection, it is preferable that the racks within which the process equipment is contained be lined up in modular configuration along the longitudinal walls of the hot cell. This makes it possible to completely exchange a rack.
With such an exchange, all tubular conduits which connect two completely loaded racks to each other must be disconnected by remotely-controlled manipulating apparatus and, after the new rack is put in place, the tubular conduits must again be connected with each other. On the other hand, the conduits from the outside which serve only to supply the respective process components of a rack must also be disconnected and connected by remotely-controlled manipulating apparatus. The end portions of the conduits of the process components in a rack are preferably arranged so that they lead to a connecting plate at the top of the rack. The conduit connection between the rack and the conduits extending into the cell from the outside therefore lies at one location.